Interlocking mechanism for voting-machines.



F. KEIPER. IN-TEELOGKING MECHANISM FOR VOTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1905.

933,372. Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

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P. KEIPER. INTERLOGKING MECHANISM FOR VOTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1905.-

933,372. Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

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' OQMICWP P. KEIPER INTERLOGKING MECHANISM FOR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1905. 933,372. Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

3 SHEETSSHBET 3.

fz 11 a WITNESSES: (NV/51V TOR UNITED STATES PATENT. oFFIcE.

-FRANK Karena, or nocnns'rnn, new YORK.

m'rnnnocxms MECHANISM r03 VOTING-MACHINES.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Application filed November 20, 1905. Serial No. 288,137.

tion, and to the reference characters marked.-

thereon. p

This invention relates to interlocking mechanism particularly adapted-for use in votin machines whereby an excessive nurn-- her 0 candidates for one or more offices may be accommodated on the machine, without interfering with straight ticket voting. Thus, for the office of Congressman, I have shown in Figure 1 of the drawings eight candidates'in nomination, While the machine on which they are placed has room for but seven candidates in each oihce line. As shown, I have placed these eight candidates on two ofiice lines. On these two oflice lines I two keys can then be voted, which is not allowable for the ofiice of Congressman. If the interlock is adjusted to permit the voting of but one key in the two office lines, it will ordinarily lock the straight ticket keys against operation.

My invention consists in providing this and other similar conditions whereby an abnormal number of oflice lines are included in a group, without permitting the voting of a correspondingly abnormal number of keys,. and 'WllllOllt interfering wlth the proper. operation of straight ticket keys on their respective single candidate keys in the group.

The particularform of the invention described in this application is based on the interlocking mechanism described in my pati cut 857.4169, and in the patent to Lausterer No. 793,666, but it is understood that it may also be applied to the interlocks of such ma ehincs as are described in the patent to J ames H. Dean, No. (536,730, and others.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which,

Fig. l is a front View of the ballot sup- )Olt of a voting machine containing eight candidates for Congress who have been nominated although but one can be elected to the cities, and the machine is built with provision for'sev'en parties only. Fig. 2 1s ahorizontal sectional View showing the arrangement of the interlocking mechanism for this special condition. Fig. 3' is a View similar to Fig. 1 in which the ticket contains a combination of indorsed candidates for the office of school directors. The nominations are so arranged as to permit all the indorsements of each of the indo'rscd candidates to come on one and the same otfice line. In this group five oliicelines must be included although but four candidates only can be voted for therein,- and only four can be elected therefrom. Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view showing the arrangement of the inter-- locking mechanism for this special condition. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the interlocking channel of the machine. Fig. 6 is a detail of the interlocking strap and wedge. Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the interlocking abutments or rollers, for regular candidates. Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are details of the special interlocking devices employed in either of the two above named special conditions.

Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar parts.

The invention is shown applied to the now familiar type of machine in which the ticket from which the voter selects his can didates is arranged upon the front plate of the machine and indicators or keys are provided for each candidate, the operation of the oscillatory ballot key or indicator to a sponding to the indicators which are left in voted position and registers the vote. In these machines the indicators are connected to interlocking straps or rods having wedges or enlargements thereon coiiper'ating with abutments, blocks or rollers arranged in a guide or channel at the lower part of the machine, some of said abutments being rendered station'ar and others permitted a. movement relative to the channel so that only a predetermined number of indicators may remain in operated or voted position at one time.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates the face plate of the machine, which plate has thereon seven party rows of keys, and at the head of e'ac party row is a straight ticket key.

The straight ticket keys are indicated by the numeral 2,'t-he individual candidate keys by the numeral 3, and the party rows of keys are referred to by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F and G. As usual in machines of this type, it is understood that the operation of the straight ticket ke will place in voted thereto three other candidates for Congress have been nominated and are running independently, thus making eight candidates for this one oflice. It will be seen that the indicators devoted to these eight candidates are placed on the two office lines numbered 11 and 12, and that these two ofiice lines with their interlocking mechanism must be combined into one group, and when so combined,

. any two keys in the oiiice lines can be voted.

To prevent this Voting of two keys, a compensator in the form of a block equivalent to a wedge or enlargement on one of the interlocking rods or straps, may be inserted passing between any pair of interlocking straps and between the rollers or movable abutments with whichthey interlock, and

such a compensator is shown in Fig. 11 in detail, and in position in Fig. .4. But the insertion of such compensator in this'cas'e would look out of operation all of the straight ticket keys on the machine, for obviously each straight ticket key voted must operate the two indicator keys 11 and 12 of its party row, but when the compensator is such as descrlbed, only one of these can be placed in voting position, andas bothsof 'them cannot be moved, the straight ticket indicator or key is in turn locked by them. T o prevent this locking of the straight ticket key, however, I can provide for the isolation of the interlocking wedges of the unused keys of the 12th oi'iice line so that while they may be moved to voted position, theyhave no interlocking effect. To secure this result I arranged the parts as shown in Fig.

2, the indicating numerals 10, 10 etc. in-

dicating the interlocking straps connected to the keys at the intersection of the tenth column, and the A ofiice line, this obtaining throughout the specification. In this figure the grouping pin 4 represents the grouping pin in the interlocking channel between the 10th and 11th oiiice lines, and the grouping pin 5 represents the pin between the 12th and 13th oflice lines. These pins pass through the pin rollers 6 and 7 respectively and holdthemin fixed position. Be tween the pin roller 6 and the adjacent interlocking block or roller 8 passes the interlocking strap 11 and 11 The strap 11" is for the independent ballot slide in the independent column. The raising of this slide (not shown) permits voting for unnominated persons. The details are shown for example in Patent 820,802, Lausterer, May 15, 1906. The strap connected to the eleventh key in the first party row,- Which key belongs to the Republican candidate Page is dicated by 11. Between the interlock blocks or rollers 8 and 9 pass the straps for the keysVIl and 11 devotedt'o the keys of Hone and Case.

Between the rollers 9 and ,10 pass'the straps for the keys 11 and 11 devoted tov Dunn and Doty. The pin roller adjacent to the roller 10 has been removed. This pin roller is similar to that shown in Fig. 7, and has been replaced by a square block or compensator similar to that shown in Fig. 10, which is of a height substantially equal to the diameter of the roller. On one side thereof, the right in Fig. 2, is cut a recess 130 which corresponds substantially to the recess in' the roller, this recess being intended to contain the interlocking strap 11 without interlocking effect if the key 11 is voted. ()n the other side of this block 11 is a deep recess 120 wide enough for the wedge 16 shown in Fig. 6, to lay therein without interlocking effect. The next adjacent roller has been removed and replaced by the roller 12 similar to that shown in Fig. 9, and roller 13 and the block 14 similar to roller 12 and block 11 are inserted in lace of correspond ing rollers of the regular type that have been removed. The block 14 contacts with date Pagefiwhile the key of strap 12 has no candidate thereon, and if the party lever in the row indicated by A be voted, it will place in Voted position both the keys 11 and 12 in that row. The key 11 will interlock properly by reason of thefact that its wedge rollers (3 and 8 and will separate them, but the key 12 will not interlock at all, because its wedge will be drawn up between the block 11 and the roller 12, between which there is sufiicient room for the wedge to enter Without separating them, thus it will be seen that the voting of party lever A is not interfered with, because by voting it, the

16 will be drawn between the interlocking v voter places in voted position one'keythat is interlocked, and one key that is not interlocked. The same is true in voting straight ticket keys in the lines indicated by B, C,

D and E. \Vith reference to the block 11 it recess 130 still deeper and making it as wide as the wedge 16, the effective displacement of the wedge is diminished instead of increased, and as shown in the drawings, the displacement of the wedge 16 has been completely eliminated.

it may here be remarked that the interlocking rollers as shown in Figs. 2 and d are shown in the order asthey would be seen from the back of the machine where the adgustinent must be made, and the order of them is consequently reversed from what it would be if they were seen from the front of the machine in which case their sequence would correspond with the sequence of the keys which they interlock.

T he party levers F and G do not belong to or represent any regular party, so they may be locked against operation in any desired manner. The straps for the keys 11 and 11 pass between the roller 10 and the block 11, and the voting of either of these keys will cause their wedges to properly interlock. So too, the straps l2 and 12 pass between the block 14 and the roller 7. The narrow recess 130 of said block in both cases faces the strap or straps that it is intended to interlock and the broad recess 120 faces the strap or straps and their wedges which are to be released from the interlock. The blocks 11 and 14 are made square or rectangular at the ends as is shown in Fig. 10, sothat they will not turn in the interlocking channel 17 that holds them, thus keeping the four blocks always in the proper relation with the parts with which they are intended to eo'opstate. The intermediate abutnients or rollers 12 and18 can be eithercylindrical in shape or can be made rectangular on the end, as may be desired, the object in either case being merely to afford between the rollers or between the roller and the block a sufiicient space so that one or both of the Wedges may be drawn to voted position-without having any interlmking effect. It will be further understood that the dimensions of the blocks .11 and 14 along the channel is enough greater than the rollers which they replace to make the rollers have been removed and the blocks have been inserted in their stead, and the rollers 12 and 13 have been put intov their places, and the grouping pins 4 and 5 have been inserted, only one key connected to the following ten straps can be voted, 11, ll, 11*, 11c, 11, 11 Il 11 12 and 12 and all of the keys connected to the following straps can be voted, 12*, 12, 12", 12, 12 12 and the voting of any or all of them will not interfere with the voting of the one key that can be voted out of the remail' ing 10, As the wedges of the keys connected to the straps 12 12 19., 12, 12*, are isolated, the voting ofthose keys is withoutinterlocking. effect and they can in consequence oll'er no obstruction to operation of the straight ticket keys of their respective party lines.

The party levers F and (fir, however, are locked against voting, because no parties appear in connection therewith, and the extra independently nominated candidates can be put upon the keys F and G of the oftice tines ll and 12, and these keys will remain interlocked against each other and against the keys 21 of the party row A, B, C, D and E, so that only one of thckeys sointerlocked can be voted. If there are six arties in nomination, and there are three independent candidates, the group can be extended to include three oflice lines by arranging the blocks and rollers to interlock the keys on the bottom party row with those keys for which there are candidates, leaving free those keys and wedges forgfhich there are no candidates. In that case, however, a compensator and a square block would have to be used to isolate the strap v12", for exam ple in the same way that the strap 9 is iso latedin Fig. 4.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a different 'application of this same invention. In this case we have a group of four with five indorsed candidates therein. In such a case as this it is well known that if the counters of an indorsed candidate are coupled for simultaneous action in such manner as is described in Patent 847,146,Lausterer, March 19, 1907,..01 ifthe keys of the indorsed candidate are doubly interlocked as they must be, for instance, in the machine described in Patent No. 636,7 30, and others, it is desirable that each indorsed candidates name must be concentrated on one ofiice line and cannot be distributed on two or'more oflice lines. This necessitates including five officc lines in the group of four, because an inspection of the names of the candidates of said group will show that it is impossible to put the names of any two of these indorsed candidates onv one line, and still confine the whole group to four lines. This makes it necessary that the keys 9",10 and 10, and 11 and 11 and 11* be isolated so that the operation'of their respective straight ticket keys will not prolocked the straps of 9", 9 9 and 9. For

tween the compensator 32' and roller 33 on oiiice lines 7 to 11 inclusive, so that the blank spaces at the end of the party rows A, G and E will come just after a joint in a divided 0r divisible straight ticket bar;

which joint can be disconnected asis described in- Patent 849,123, Gillespie, April 2, 1907, it being understood that the joints in the straight ticket bar occur after every fifth or tenth key. This makes it still necessary, however, to isolate the keys 9 and 10 and 10F, and the manner in which this is accomplished I .will now describe. The grouping pin 20 holds the pin roller that separates the sixth and seventh ofiice lines. The rollers 21, 22, 23, 24:, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 remain normal, it being understood that the roller 25 is between the seventh and eighth ollice lines, and the roller 29 is between the eighth and ninth oilice lines, and between the rollers 29 and 30 and the square block 31 are interthe key 9 there is no candidate and the strap for that key is isolated between the square block 31 and the fiat compensator 32, such as shown in Fig. 11, so that theovedge for this key and strap cannothave any interlocking effect when drawn to voted position. The strap 9, however, is confined be and will have an interlocking efi ect when drawn to its voted position. The strap 10 is isolated between the square block 35 and the compensator 36, and the strap 10 is interlocked between the compensator 36 and the roller 37. The straps 1O and 10 are isolated between the square blocks 38 and 39, beyond which the keys of the eleventh otlice line are interlocked in their normal way so that only one of them can be votes. It will thus be seen that the blocks, rollers and compensators of the design described can be used to acconnnodate the machine so as to carry tickets thereon and hold elections therewith to which the machine is not originally adapted, and for which it might not otherwise be used.

I claim as. my invention:

1. In an interlocking mechanism, the combination with movable indicators and wedges operated thereby, of interlocking blocks with which said wedges coiiperate, and bridging members arranged between some of the blocks to cause'their movement indepeni'lently of the adjacent. wedges.

2. In an interlocking mechanism, the combination with movable wedges, of a plurality of interlocking blocks some of which are adapted to coiiperate with the adjacent wedges and others to bridge the wedges while cooperating with adjacent blocks.

In an interlocking mechanism, the. combination with movable indicators and wedges operated thereby, of relatively m'ov-' able members with which the wedges cooperate and movable bridging members serving to'conn'ect adjacent members for movement independentlyof the intermediate wedges.

4. In an interlocking mechanism, the

combination with movable indicators and wedges operated thereby, of limitlng abutments and relatively movable members operable between -them =and with which the wedges are adapted to cooperate and movable bridging membersi serving to connect adjacent members for movement independently of the intermediate'wedges.

5. In an interlocking mechanism, the con'ibination with a series of wedges, of a series of interlocking blocks, some of the blocks cooperating directly with adjacent wedges and others formed to avoid contact with adjacent wedges and engage other blocks only.

6.v An interlocking block provided on 0pposite sides with recesses of different dimensions.

7. The combination with wedges andstraps connected thereto, of a series of interlocking blocksone or more of which are provided on opposite sides wit recesses ofditlerent dimensions.

8. The combination with the channel, stationary abutments thereon and a series of interlocking blocks between them, some of said blocks having recesses of difierent dimensions on opposite sides, of the interlocking straps having wedges thereon adapted to ce'cperate with said blocks, said straps being adapted to fit in the narrower recesses of the blocks.

9. In an interlocking mechanism, the combination with a plurality of series of straps interlocking and wedges connected thereto, of a channel -moved-by them independently of the adjacent wedges.

11. The combination with a plurality'of straps and wedges connected thereto, of a support, interlocking blocks thereon withwhich the wedges cooperate, and other blocks on said support having the reduced central portions with which the wedges do not 00- operate. 7

'12. Thercombin'ation with a plurality of,

' not straps and wedges connected thereto, of a support, interlocking blocks thereon with which the wedges cooperate, blocks recessed i on 0 posite sides with which the wedges do directly cooperate and blocks having recesses on one side with which only one wedge cooperates.

13. The combination with a plurality of interlocking blocks and a lurality of movable wedges, of an interloc ing block shaped to make interlocking contact with either a block or a-wedge on one side and to contact only with a block on the other side.

14. The combination with a plurality of interlocking-blocks and a plurality of interlocking wedges of an interlocking block adapted to be arranged between two of said wedges, said block being recessed to make interlocking contact with adjacent blocks andto avoid interlocking contact with adjacent wedges. v

15. The combination with an interlocking system embodying blocks and wedges, of a block having a recess in one side larger than an adjacent wedge.

16. The combination in a voting machine of an interlocking spacing member and one or more interlocking straps and wedges, placed adjacent thereto, said member being recessed opposite saidstrap to increase the effective displacement of the wedge carried by said strap, and recessed opposite the wedge to diminish the effective displacement of the wedge.

17. The combination in a voting machine of an interlocking spacing member and an interlocking wedge placed adjacent thereto, said member being recessed opposite said wedge to diminish the efiective displacement of the wedge FRANK KEIPER. Witnesses: MARGARET E. BEoHToLn,

OSCAR M. MYERS. 

